ONCE upon a time, these prosperous Australian towns were bustling hives of activity. But the years have taken a devastating toll, and now few souls remain to tell the intriguing stories of these formerly rich regions.

From mining towns to failed settlements and rail hubs, our nation is full of ghost towns that offer a fascinating glimpse at a past that most of us can only imagine.

They remain standing today, simply frozen in time.

While they may be shells of their former selves, some of these areas are so fascinating in their sheer emptiness that they’ve been picked as the backdrops for famous movies such as Mission Impossible II, or have even been visited by celebrities such as Patrick Swayze.

Here are 14 towns that Australia forgot. This list was compiled with help from a map of ghost towns created by Lifehacker.

1. Cook, South Australia

This railway stop on the Trans-Australian Railway was built in 1917 in the middle of nowhere, at the Nullarbor Plain. Cook used to have a population of 50 who helped maintain the railway tracks, but now there are just four people left. Most of the buildings have been condemned, including a school.

It’s actually the longest straight stretch of railway in the world, at 478 kilometres.

The abandoned town of Cook. Picture: Sheila Thomson

A jail cell at Cook. Picture: Sheila Thomson

2. Farina, South Australia

This ghost town is situated on the edge of the desert. It was settled in 1878 by farmers and reached a population of approximately 600. But years of drought and dust storms, the closure of nearby mines (in 1927), and realignment of the Ghan railway line led to the town eventually being deserted.

It’s now being restored by the South Australia Government, and the ruins of its two hotels, underground bakery, bank, church and shops remain.

This tiny ghost town located about 30km from Broken Hill in the far west outback of NSW has featured as the backdrop of many movies including Mission Impossible II (1999) Dirty Deeds (2001) and Mad Max II (1981).

It was first settled by the Wiljakali Aborigines, and miners flocked to the region upon the discovery of silver. It blossomed into a bustling town of 3000 people before residents began to leave in the early 1890s in favour of mines in Broken Hill, with many taking their houses with them. Nowadays less than 50 people remain here, and there are even fewer buildings.

Once upon a time, 2500 people called the mountainous town of Walhalla home. Today, it’s frozen in time and has less than 20 permanent residents, though its tourism industry is solid due to the many holiday homes in the area and interesting heritage buildings.

Patrick Swayze is said to have spent time in the area during his youth.

A home perched on the edge of a mountain, back in 1976. Picture: WIV John Lloyd

This ghost town is 38km from Kalgoorlie. Gold was first discovered here in 1893 which triggered a gold rush, and a population of 15,000 soon followed. But 30 years later, with no gold left, the town was abandoned.

The movie Nickel Queen was filmed here in 1971. Visitors should check out the handwritten notes left by visitors all over the walls of the remaining hotel, the Broad Arrow Tavern.

Messages from Broad Arrow. Picture: Don Pugh

Not much remains here. Picture: Railways of Australia by Darylle Phillips

8. Mary Kathleen, Queensland

While it was first established in the 1860s, the town boomed when a uranium mine was opened in the 1950s. When the mine was shut in 1982 most of the homes of Mary Kathleen’s former residents (which amounted to nearly 1000 by 1961) were sold or removed.

The now disused Mary Kathleen uranium mine.Source:News Limited

The mine.Source:News Limited

9. Gunbar, NSW

This once-thriving area is now a ghost town, after many people moved during the depression. Few building remain, apart from the church and there are just 97 residents.

Gunbar’s public hall. Picture: Mattingbgn-talk, Wikicommons

10. Aberfeldy, Victoria

The population of this town diminished during World War I, before a series of bush fires destroyed many buildings in 1938. It then fell into ruins, with only a few residents remaining.

Aberfeldy. Picture: Melburnian

11. Mount Mulligan, Queensland

One of the most sacred sites in Far North Queensland, Mount Mulligan is known by indigenous people as the birthplace of the Rainbow Serpent. It’s also one of the oldest Aboriginal sites, with evidence of occupation dating back some 37,000 years.

It has a grim history, with an underground explosion killing 75 miners in 1921, forcing its closure for two years. It was the nation’s third worst coal mining accident, with the town then dominated by the graves resulting from the disaster.

Soon it was abandoned, with buildings demolished and relocated. Just a single home remains occupied.

Mount Mulligan’s single chimney. Picture: Bruceanthro, Wikicommons

12. Port Essington, Northern Territory

All that remains of this early attempt at a British settlement is a series of ruins that are very difficult to reach. The rampant spread of disease, poor living conditions and a cyclone (in 1830) hit the area hard and it was deserted from 1849.

The site of Tasmania’s first hydropower station, it used to have a population of over 100 in the early 1900s. But now there’s only approximately four people left. The town, in the middle of Tasmania is subjected to harsh weather.